Standard design bomb rack units have been either passive in nature in that the units utilizae a gravity release system or the units incorporated the use of a pyrotechnique cartridge to actively discharge the ordnance away from the carrier rack and parent aircraft. More recently, high pressure hydraulics have been used to serve as the activating agents alone or in combination with the pyrotechnique devices. The gravity release systems are sufficiently effective at flight speeds significantly below subsonic flight but as the aircraft approaches sonic speeds and more importantly transsonic and supersonic speeds, the gravity release systems are inadequate. Due to the aerodynamic considerations of jet aircraft wings, gravity release systems are no longer accurate and under varying conditions of ordnance mix and flight profiles, these systems generate situations that are extremely hazardous and could even be fatal to the aircraft and pilot. Due to the structure of the wings, the ordnance can be drawn into the air currents around the wing after gravity release creating an ultrahazardous condition and a totally ineffective, inaccurate release.
The pyrotechnique active release systems accelerate the ordnance away from the aircraft to alleviate the above mentioned problems. Such devices use controlled explosion of a cartridge. Such systems have several inherent problems. Human error in loading the explosive cartridge can result in nondeployment of the ordnance. Presently used cartridges vary widely in energy output resulting in significantly different ordnance ejection profiles and velocities. An important factor is the violent release of energy from the cartridges being extremely detrimental to the chambers and breaches which are used to contain and direct the energy to useful work. The result is frequent overhaul requirements of the ejector units.
The combination of pyrotechniques and hydraulics solves several of the problems associated with pyrotechnique use but still have several major drawbacks inherent to all pyrotechnique systems. Any device using a pyrotechnique ejector cannot be tested to ordnance release. Additionally, the problems detailed above remain in such a combination unit to some extent.
High pressure hydraulics have provided positive results in laboratory experimentation. However, the use of high pressure hydraulics is not consistent with the move in the industry from hydraulics and pneumatics toward an all electric aircraft. Additionally, such devices have all of the problems inherent in a hydraulic system such as leakage and maintenance.
The instant invention is a departure from the prior means for ejecting an ordnance which overcomes the shortcomings of the pyrotechnique, hydraulic, and hybrid release systems.